Inspiring Indian Entrepreneurial story -Hanmant Rao Gaikwad

Hanmant Rao Gaikwad

Founder and Managing Director, BVG (Bharat Vikas Group)

As an engineering student, Hanmant Gaikwad took tuitions – to support himself through college. Today, he runs the Rs 300 crore Bharat Vikas Group (BVG), a facilities management firm which not only has the cream of corporate clients, but maintains Rashtrapati Bhavan (Prseident’s Place/Office).

Hanmant Gaikwad was born in Koregaon in Satara district. He was a brilliant student, especially good in mathematics. When he was in class six, his family shifted to Pune. They lived in a tiny one room house. 10 by 10 feet.

At this point Hanmant realized the difference between himself and those who had money. The situation was made worse because his father was chronically ill and had to be admitted to the hospital for two-three months a year. Hanmant’s mother pawned all her ornaments, to somehow get money for his father’s treatment. She also started working as a teacher at a municipal school and took up some sewing jobs.

Hanmant was then studying at Modern High School. He needed one rupee to buy a bus ticket to and fro everyday. Even that was hard to come by.

Despite the hardships, Hanmant secured 88% in class 10. The only guidance he got was from the headmaster of his Mother’s school. He then went for a Diploma, and like all the bright students, he too took up Electronics. In the second year though, he lost his father to a cardiac arrest.

In the year 1990, Hanmant completed his Diploma. Next, he decided to do his graduation.

The natural choice for a diploma engineer is to go for a B.Tech. But engineering colleges charge hefty fees. At the time, the family’s only income was a teacher’s salary of Rs 2300 a month.

Hanmant’s mother took a loan of Rs 15000 from Pune Municipal Co-operative Bank and got him admitted to Vishwakarma Institurte of Technology (VIT). It was then that he decided to do some earning on his own and he hasn’t looked back ever since. From taking tutions to painting houses, from concreting pathways to various kinds of repair works, from cleaning small plants to maintaining the cleanliness of the Parliament Houses (Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha) and the Rashtrapati Bhawan, Hanmant Gaikwad has gone through everything to stand where he is now.

Like millions of Indians, he had no bank balance, no godfather and no special privileges. But, he found a silver lining everywhere. Whatever opportunity came his way, he grabbed it with both hands and made the most of it.

Hanmant when asked, what advice would he like to give to the nation’s youth, smiles and says;